DIY Guidelines for Making Dog Stuff

Following are some DIY guidelines to make things easier and safer when working on dog projects.

The most important thing to remember is to always pay attention to what you're doing!

Prepare Tools and Materials Properly

Review the items needed for each phase of your project.

Scrounge or purchase tools and materials you don’t have.

Place all the tools and materials for a particular phase of the project in your work area before you start.

Doing these things can cut down considerably on frustrations and the time it takes to make something.

Keep Tools and Materials Organized

Ideally, you will have a work space where you can leave the project as is when you walk away and just pick up where you left off.

However, we have learned from experience that it is best to take an extra couple of minutes to put tools back where they belong. Often, we are working on more than one project at once, or we choose to work on something different for a while. It is very annoying and can be timeconsuming if a tool is not in its customary place.

Materials can often be kept together in a cardboard box and/or old plastic or tin containers. This is particularly helpful when there are small parts such as screws, nuts and bolts. It is vital when there are parts that you had to go and buy specially for the project.

Assessing Yourself

Another very important part of DIY guidelines is to be aware of how you are doing, both before and during the project. This means checking in with your emotional, mental and physical state from time to time.

Many a project took us longer to make because we did not pay
attention to these things. We have had to redo parts or even scrap
projects. What can we say - it takes us a while to learn sometimes...

EMOTIONAL STATE

Are you relaxed, eager to start and excited about the project?

Then go ahead and get started!

Are you irritable or impatient, or feeling like it will be a chore?

Take a deep breath

Ask yourself whether you want to be doing this now or later

Give yourself permission to do it at another time

Do something you enjoy or find relaxing, like playing with your dog...

MENTAL STATE

Are you anxious or afraid to get started?

Give yourself permission to make mistakes

Allow a less than perfect result

Give yourself plenty of time – realize you’re not in a race

Remember that the best way to learn something is by doing

Ask for help when you need it

Each time you get anxious about any part of the project, take a break and congratulate yourself for parts completed

Look for humor in situations

PHYSICAL STATE

Are you fresh as a daisy or have a reasonable amount of energy?

You’re good to go!

Are you tired?

Consider resting before you begin

If you get tired in the middle or near the end of a project, STOP!

This is when you are most likely to mess up!

Go away from the project until you feel refreshed

We trust these DIY guidelines will serve as a good reminder for how to keep a project going smoothly, and most of all, keep you safe!